Thursday, September 18, 2014

The Hitchcock Project-Henry Slesar Part Thirty-Seven: "First Class Honeymoon" [7.36] with an episode guide and an overview of the half-hour episodes by Slesar

by Jack Seabrook

"First Class Honeymoon" was one of the last episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents to air on the network as the half-hour series came to the end of its seven-year run. Unfortunately, the show, like the story on which it is based, is a rare miss for Henry Slesar.

"First-Class Honeymoon" was first published as a short story in the June 1961 issue of Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine. As the story opens, Edward Gibson is happy to be divorced from his ex-wife Gloria but unhappy to be paying alimony. His friend Karl Sebron pays a surprise visit to Edward's home. "The perennial collegiate," Sebron is dating Gloria, a situation that baffles Edward. Gloria "weighs too much, she's always sick and she talks your ear off," Karl admits. Karl tells Edward that he has gambling debts and offers to marry Gloria if Edward will pay him $10,000. Karl points out that Gloria's marriage would put a stop to Edward's alimony payments.

Edward agrees to Karl's plan and urges Karl to call Gloria right away and propose marriage. He makes the call and she accepts. Edward gives Karl the money and adds $500 for a first-class honeymoon. Later that day, Gloria's lawyer calls Edward to say that she died of a heart seizure the night before. Furious, Edward telephones Karl, only to learn that he has left the country on his way to St. Thomas. He told his maid that he was "going on a honeymoon."

Robert Webber
The last of the stories collected in A Crime for Mothers and Others to be televised, "First-Class Honeymoon" is a weak effort, only five pages long in the paperback. It occurs in one day, has two main characters plus others who are reached by telephone, and takes place in one location, Edward's home. The twist is effective but the story does not do much to build suspense or develop its characters.

Henry Slesar adapted his own story for television and it was broadcast as "First Class Honeymoon" on NBC on Tuesday, June 12, 1962. The copyright notice on the title card says 1961, so it may be that this mediocre episode was held until late in the season, when viewership was lower. The episodes before and after it are all copyright 1962.

The show is padded to fill out the time slot. It opens with Edward waking up alone in a twin bed in his beautiful Manhattan apartment. The other twin bed is empty and sheetless. Edward reviews his divorce decree and demonstrates joy by letting out an Indian war whoop, shadow-boxing, using the "Hers" towel in the bathroom to shine his slippers, and jumping on his ex-wife's mattress to wipe the bottom of his feet.

Robert Webber and Marjorie Bennett
as Mrs. Phelan
The second scene is new, and features a morning exchange in the kitchen between Edward and his maid, Mrs. Phelan, who is an avid baseball fan. They share a dislike for Gloria and Edward takes a beer and waters the plants with it. Scene three is also padding, as Edward receives a visit from Abner Munro, a representative of the True Art Galleries. Abner delivers a large portrait of Gloria that she had commissioned and charged to Edward's account before their divorce. Munro demands payment of $2500 for the painting, which depicts a severe-looking woman with her arms crossed. Munro declares that the painting is by Raphael O'Connor, "one of America's foremost portrait painters."

The show then picks up where the story left off with the arrival of Edward's friend, now renamed Carl Seabrook. He knows that Edward is paying $2000 per month in alimony. Edward mentions that Carl used to date an attractive brunette named Marian before he took up with Gloria. Edward takes $5000 from his safe and gives it to Carl, promising to get the other $5000 (plus an extra $500) the next day. This makes a bit more sense than the story, where we are never told how Edward happens to have so much ready cash available at a moment's notice.

Jeremy Slate, Elaine Martone as Marian,
and Kim Hamilton as the maid
Carl calls Gloria and suggests a meeting that night, rather than proposing over the phone as he does in the story. He lets Edward hear a woman's laugh on the other end of the line (that of his girlfriend Marian?). In the show's final scene, instead of receiving a phone call from a lawyer, Edward pulls his convertible up in front of Gloria's apartment building and gets out to go inside and deliver the portrait. In the lobby, he meets the doorman, who tells him about Gloria's death. Edward then uses the lobby phone to call Carl but gets a maid. At this point, the show seems to stop making sense as it delivers the final twist. The maid, in a beautiful apartment that presumably belongs to the struggling Carl, tells Edward that Carl has gone to the airport and said he was "going on a honeymoon." Yet Carl and Marion are there with her, suitcases in hand, laughing and instructing her on what to tell Edward. After she hangs up the phone, the maid says goodbye and addresses them as "Mr. Seabrook, Mrs. Seabrook," suggesting that they are married and that they really are going on a honeymoon.

Jeremy Slate
Did Carl get married to Marian in the few hours since he left Edward's apartment? Why does Carl need money if he has such a nice apartment, a maid, and a pretty girlfriend? How far will they go on $5000? Do they intend to return and, if so, won't Carl be caught right away? Things get even more confusing with Alfred Hitchcock's closing comments. He says that "while in St. Thomas, Mr. Seabrook met a beautiful girl, fell madly in love with her, and she swindled him out of all his money." This remark seems to have been written based on the conclusion of the short story rather than the teleplay, since it does not seem to fit what happened at the end of the show.

"First Class Honeymoon" is directed by Don Weis without any particular distinction. The performances and especially the background music make it clear from the start that it is meant to be humorous (like other weak Slesar episodes, such as "The Right Price" and "Burglar Proof") but it falls flat. Robbert Webber, playing the role of Edward Gibson, does his best with the material, but Jeremy Slate, who was so good in Slesar's "One Grave Too Many," walks through his role, and the colorful characters of Edward's baseball-loving maid and the stuffy art dealer just seem added to fill out the time slot.

Robert Webber and James Flavin as the doorman
Don Weis (1922-2000), started in movies in 1951 but from 1954 to 1990 worked mostly in episodic television. He directed The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953) and episodes of The Twilight Zone, Batman, The Night Stalker, and many others. His five episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents also included "Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid." An interesting article about Weis's career was recently published here, on the Film Comment website.

Playing Edward is Robert Webber (1924-1989), who was in movies and on TV from 1950 to 1989. He was a juror in 12 Angry Men (1957) and appeared many times on TV, including episodes of Thriller and The Outer Limits. He was on Alfred Hitchcock Presents three times, including "Burglar Proof" and "A True Account." A nice survey of his career may be found here.

John Abbott
Jeremy Slate (1926-2006) plays Carl. He was born Robert Perham and participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. He had a long career on TV, from 1952 to 2006, and was in movies from 1959 to 1992. He appeared on the Hitchcock series five times.

Finally, John Abbott (1905-1996) was born John Kefford in London. His movie career began in 1936 and he started on TV in 1952. His voice and face were unmistakable and he appeared on Thriller and Star Trek, as well as on this single episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. To me, he always seems to portray characters who put on airs but have a core of seediness.

Note: In The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion, there is an error concerning this episode that has been continued online. In the 1980s version of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, an episode titled "Deadly Honeymoon" was broadcast on April 13, 1986. The title card says that it was based on a story by Henry Slesar, but that story was not "First-Class Honeymoon," as the plots are nothing alike. Instead, the teleplay was based on a radio play that Slesar wrote under the same title ("Deadly Honeymoon") for the CBS Radio Mystery Theater and which aired on January 24, 1974.

Sources:
Slesar, Henry. "First-Class Honeymoon." 1961. A Crime for Mothers and Others. NY: Avon, 1962. 108-12. Print.
"Galactic Central." Galactic Central. Web. 7 Sept. 2014.
Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion. Churchville, MD: OTR Pub., 2001. Print.
IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 7 Sept. 2014.
"First Class Honeymoon." Alfred Hitchcock Presents. NBC. 12 June 1962. Television.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 7 Sept. 2014.

Portrait of Gloria

AN OVERVIEW OF THE HENRY SLESAR EPISODES ON ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS

Henry Slesar's contributions to Alfred Hitchcock Presents began in season three with "Heart of Gold" (10/27/57), which was adapted from a short story by Slesar. He had four stories adapted that season and four more in season four, with all of the teleplays being written by other writers.


He began adapting his own stories for the small screen in season five with "Forty Detectives Later" (4/24/60), but in that season he only adapted two of his five stories that were produced. In season six, he adapted ten of the eleven stories of his that were produced. One of the episodes ("The Horseplayer," 3/14/61) was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Of those stories, three had not been published before airing. Season seven saw Slesar involved in thirteen episodes in all. He adapted eleven of his own stories for the screen (two had not been published before airing), he wrote a twelfth original teleplay, and his thirteenth contribution was to collaborate with Bryce Walton on adapting a story by J. W. Aaron.

The first four seasons of Alfred Hitchcock Presents may be viewed free online at Hulu.com. Seasons five through seven may be viewed for free online at YouTube. The first six seasons are also available on DVD from Universal. Season seven is not yet available on DVD.

In all, Henry Slesar was involved, either as writer of the short story or as writer of the teleplay, in thirty-seven episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, with twenty-four of those coming in seasons six and seven. His work was a major influence on the last two seasons of the half-hour series. As the series switched to the hour-long format in the fall of 1962, his contributions would change to suit the changing needs of the show.

Henry Slesar on Alfred Hitchcock Presents Episode Guide

Episode title-“Heart of Gold” [3.4]
Broadcast date-27 Oct. 1957
Teleplay by-James P. Cavanagh
Based on-“M Is For the Many” by Slesar
First print appearance-Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine March 1957
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Night of the Execution” [3.13]
Broadcast date-29 Dec. 1957
Teleplay by-Bernard C. Schoenfeld
Based on-“The Day of the Execution” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine June 1957
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“On the Nose” [3.20]
Broadcast date-16 Feb 1958
Teleplay by-Irving Elman
Based on-“Something Short of Murder!" by Slesar (as O.H. Leslie)
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine November 1957
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Right Kind of House” [3.23]
Broadcast date-9 March 1958
Teleplay by-Robert C. Dennis
Based on-“The Right Kind of a House” by Slesar
First print appearance-Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine February 1957
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Morning After” [4.14]
Broadcast date-11 Jan. 1959
Teleplay by-Rose Simon Kohn
Based on-“The Morning After” by Slesar
First print appearance-Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine February 1957
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Right Price” [4.22]
Broadcast date-8 March 1959
Teleplay by-Bernard C. Schoenfeld
Based on-“Make Me an Offer” by Slesar (as Jay Street)
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine December 1958
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Kind Waitress” [4.25]
Broadcast date-29 March 1959
Teleplay by-William O'Farrell
Based on-“The Case of the Kind Waitress” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine October 1958
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“A Night With the Boys” [4.29]
Broadcast date-10 May 1959
Teleplay by-Bernard C. Schoenfeld
Based on-“A Fist Full of Money” by Slesar and Jay Folb
First print appearance-Playboy February 1959
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Not the Running Type” [5.18]
Broadcast date-7 Feb. 1960
Teleplay by-Jerry Sohl
Based on-“Not the Running Type” by Slesar and Jay Folb
First print appearance-Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine January 1959
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Forty Detectives Later” [5.28]
Broadcast date-24 April 1960
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Forty Detectives Later” by Slesar
First print appearance-Manhunt May 1957
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Insomnia” [5.30]
Broadcast date-8 May 1960
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Sleep is for the Innocent” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine February 1960
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“One Grave Too Many” [5.32]
Broadcast date-22 May 1960
Teleplay by-Eli Jerome
Based on-“One Grave too Many” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine November 1958
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Party Line” [5.33]
Broadcast date-29 May 1960
Teleplay by-Eli Jerome
Based on-“The Deadly Telephone” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine January 1960
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Pen Pal” [6.6]
Broadcast date-1 Nov. 1960
Teleplay by-Hilary Murray
Based on-“Pen Pal” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine December 1957
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Money” [6.9]
Broadcast date-29 Nov. 1960
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Trust Me, Mr. Paschetti” by Slesar
First print appearance-Man's World June 1959
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Man With Two Faces” [6.11]
Broadcast date-13 Dec. 1960
Teleplay by-Hilary Murray
Based on-“The Man With Two Faces” by Slesar
First print appearance-Manhunt August 1956
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“A Crime for Mothers” [6.16]
Broadcast date-24 Jan. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“A Crime for Mothers” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine December 1960
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Last Escape” [6.17]
Broadcast date-31 Jan. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“The Last Escape” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine July 1960
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Throwback” [6.20]
Broadcast date-28 Feb. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“And Beauty the Prize” by Slesar
First print appearance-A Crime for Mothers and Others, 1962
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Horseplayer” [6.22]
Broadcast date-14 Mar. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Long Shot” by Slesar
First print appearance-Fantastic, November 1960
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Incident in a Small Jail” [6.23]
Broadcast date-21 Mar. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“The Man in the Next Cell” by Slesar
First print appearance-Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Feb. 1961
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“A Woman's Help” [6.24]
Broadcast date-28 Mar. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“A Woman's Help” by Slesar
First print appearance-A Crime for Mothers and Others, 1962
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Servant Problem” [6.34]
Broadcast date-6 June 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Servant Problem” by Slesar
First print appearance-A Crime for Mothers and Others, 1962
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Coming Home” [6.35]
Broadcast date-13 June 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“You Can't Blame Me” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, May 1961
Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Hatbox” [7.1]
Broadcast date-10 Oct. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Murder Out of a Hat” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, July 1961
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“Cop for a Day” [7.4]
Broadcast date-31 Oct. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Cop for a Day” by Slesar
First print appearance-Manhunt, January 1957
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“Keep Me Company” [7.5]
Broadcast date-7 Nov. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Keep Me Company” by Slesar
First print appearance-A Crime for Mothers and Others, 1962
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Right Kind of Medicine” [7.11]
Broadcast date-19 Dec. 1961
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Never Cool a Cop” by Slesar
First print appearance-Off Beat Detective Stories, November 1958
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Case of M.J.H.” [7.16]
Broadcast date-23 Jan. 1962
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“The Case of M.J.H.” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, August 1959
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Test” [7.20]
Broadcast date-20 Feb. 1962
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Thicker Than Water” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, November 1961
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“Burglar Proof” [7.21]
Broadcast date-27 Feb. 1962
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Be My Valentine” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, January 1962
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Last Remains” [7.25]
Broadcast date-27 Mar. 1962
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Dead Give-Away” by Slesar (as O.H. Leslie)
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, November 1961
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Kerry Blue” [7.28]
Broadcast date-17 Apr. 1962
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Death of the Kerry Blue” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, November 1968
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Matched Pearl” [7.29]
Broadcast date-24 Apr. 1962
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-original teleplay
First print appearance-none
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“Most Likely to Succeed” [7.31]
Broadcast date-8 May 1962
Teleplay by-Slesar
Based on-“Beggars Can Be Choosers” by Slesar
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, October 1961
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Opportunity” [7.33]
Broadcast date-22 May 1962
Teleplay by-Bryce Walton and Slesar 
Based on-“Golden Opportunity” by J.W. Aaron
First print appearance-Manhunt, March 1957
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“First Class Honeymoon” [7.36]
Broadcast date-12 June 1962
Teleplay by-Slesar 
Based on-“First-Class Honeymoon” by Slesar
First print appearance-Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, June 1961
Notes--see above
Available on DVD?-No

Seasons 6 and 7 of Alfred Hitchcock Presents have reappeared on YouTube, so catch them before they get removed again!

Antenna TV is now running two episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents every night! Check the schedule here.

ME TV is now running The Alfred Hitchcock Hour every Saturday night! Check the schedule here.


Coming in two weeks: "I Saw the Whole Thing," directed by Alfred Hitchcock for The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and starring John Forsythe and Kent Smith.

And, on Saturday, a special look at TV's Mob City!

2 comments:

Grant said...

The portrait reminds me of the portrait in the ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR episode A MATTER OF MURDER. In each case the woman is supposed to be very unpleasant, and the artist isn't able to hide it.

Jack Seabrook said...

I haven't seen that one in 25 years but will be covering it eventually!